The Plate Girder Bridge No. 214 would have BLACK plastic sides that were riveted to a sheet metal base that supported the track. This sheet metal would be thinner than the previously issued No. 314. With the exception of the year 1967, this bridge was available from 1953 until the end of the Post War Period in 1969. It is identified by the number and bridge nomenclature that was stamped on to the bottom of the sheet metal base. There are six variations:
Variation A: Raised crosshatched "LIONEL" lettering on the sides that has been heat-stamped in WHITE. In addition, the lettering "BUILT BY / LIONEL" located in a small raised rectangular has also been heat-stamped in WHITE on the second panel from the left side of the bridge.
Variation B: Same as Variation A except the raised cross hatched lettering and "BUILT BY / LIONEL" on the bridge sides have not been painted.
Variation C: Bridge raised lettering is "U.S. STEEL" with cross hatching has been heat-stamped in WHITE. This WHITE heat-stamp has also been applied to the circled "U S S" raised letters in the second panel from the left. The rectangular box with the lettering "MADE BY / LIONEL" has been moved to the lower section of the first panel on the left in this variation. This lettering is not heat-stamped.
Variation D: Is identical to Variation C except for the addition of a raised rectangular box that is numbered "6418" and heat-stamped in WHITE in the first panel on the right side of the bridge. This additional number was necessary because the No. 6518 Transformer Car used the same chassis mold as the No. 6418 Girder Bridge Car and the number was used to distinguish the difference between these cars was moved from the chassis to the bridge load. The release of the No. 6518 dates this variation to 1956.
Variation E: Is identical to Variation D except the raised numbers "6418" have not been heat-stamped in WHITE.
Variation F: Is identical to Variation E except it was issued in No. B214 blister packs that were hung from a dealers rack. The value of this variation is dependent on having the original unopened blister packaging. |
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